Potato-planter.



PATENTED JULY 14 No. 893,395x

E. P. SPINNER. POTATO PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED 0010.25.1907.

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PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

E. P. SPINNER. POTATO PLANTER.

APPLIGATION FILED 001.255.1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wi h1 eases No. 893,395. l I PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. E. P. SPINNER.

Q'ETG PLANTER.

1 APPLIUATION FILED 00T.25,19o'1.

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attenua? EDSON FITCH SPINNER, OF AVA, ILLINOIS.

POTATO-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed October 25, 1907. Serial No. 399,159.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDsoN FITCH SPINNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ava, in the county of Jackson and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Imrovements in Potato-Planters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to potato planters, the object of the inventionbeing to provide a simple, reliable and effective machine for plantingpotatoes and other seed in such manner that the plants or seeds may beaccurately laid in rows and subsequently cultivated in rows both waysthereby securing better cultivation of the growing crop and betterresults. Plowing, harrowing and seeding may be carried on simultaneouslyfrom one side of the field and if interrupted by unfavorable weatherconditions may be subsequently reassumed without any loss of labor.

By means of the construction hereinafter described seed potatoes of anysize or whole potatoes may be planted either one or two pieces or anydesired number of pieces at a time and such pieces are not mutilated orinjured in any way. The mechanism described also insures the lanting ofseed in each and every hill and t ie machine may be used either as acheck row planter or as a drill planting machine. A marker may also beused in connection with the machine and forming a guide wherebysubsequent movement of the machine across the field may be accuratelydefined.

IVith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description proceeds the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fullydescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a planting machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the machine with the hopper removed, showing the revolvingdisk and adjustable hopper bot'- tom. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of themachine, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the bootshowing the valve mechanism and part of the operating connectionstherefor.

The frame of the machine contemplated in this invention is preferablycomposed of angle iron, as indicated in Fig. 1 and comprises arectangular rear or main portion 1 and a forward angular portion 2embodying rearwardly diverging bars 3 connected rigidly at their forwardends to the machine tongue 4, the forward and rear portions of themachine frame being pivotally connected together at v.5 so to admit of arelative rocking movement thereof for the purpose of adjusting theelevation of the furrow opener and boot as well as the coverer, therebyenabling the depth of planting to be regulated to suit all conditions.

Mounted upon the main section 1 of the machine frame is a deck 6provided near the front thereof with an opening 7 4through which theseed may pass as the latter are delivered thereto by the revolvingfeeder disk 8 which is mounted directly upon the deck 6 and com rises anannular series of pockets or receptac es 9 in which the seed are placedby an attendant who occupies a seat 10 mounted at the rear of themachine, said seat being shown mounted upon a standard adjustablyconnected to the rear cross bar of the frame by a bolt or other suitablefastening 12 which may be inserted through any one of the series ofholes in the standard l1, as indicated in Fig. 1.

Surrounding the greater portion of the disk 8 and extending upward abovethe same is a hopper 13 provided with a hinged cover or lid 14 and alsoprovided at the rear with a door or slide 15 movable up and down insuitable guide ways and adapted to be held at any suitable elevation bymeans of pawls 16 engaging racks 17, as shown in Fig. 3, therebyadapting any size opening 18 to be left beneath the lower edge of theslide for the discharge of potatoes or seeds to the operator on the seat10. Within the hopper 13 is mounted an inclined adjustable hopper bottom19, the lower end of which is associated with a table 2O which extendsoutward in rear of the slide 15 to enable the operator on the seat 1 totake the potatoes or seed from said table and deposit them in thepockets 9 of the feeder disk. The forward edge of the bottom 19 isadapted to be raised. and lowered for giving the necessary inclinationto the adjustable bottom to cause the material to gravitate rearward toand upon the table 2O by means of one or more bell crank levers 21 onearm of which is connected by a link 22 to the bottom 19 and the otherarm of which is connected to a handle bar or rod 23 whichY extendsoutward through an opening in the rear of the hopper and is providedwith teeth 24 adapted to engage a lug or shoulder on the hopper to holdsaid handle bar at any desired pointlof adjustment. The rear end of saidhandle bar is wprovided with a crook or handle 25 to facilitate theoperation thereof. 26 represents a plate jointed to the freeedge of theinclined bottom 19 and resting at its free edge against the inclinedfront wall of the hopper, as shown in Fig. l, said plate acting as aguard or apron to insure the potatoes or seed being Mcarried'on to theinclined bottom 19. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 indicate clearly themanner of adjusting the inclined bottom 19, the object of which asbefore stated is to insure the potatoes reaching the table Mfrom whichthey are taken by the operator 26' ancll deposited in the pockets of thefeeder dis i.

Arranged below the discharge openingl 7 in the deck is a boot 27carrying a shovel or furrow opener 28 connected by a suitable `l brace29 with the machine frame while traveling in rear of the furrow openerare one or more covering disks 29 the same being mounted on thecorresponding number of arms 30 :opivoted at their forward ends to themachine 3'frame 31 and adjustable up and down by means of pins 32 and.apertured brackets 33 on the machine frame, whereby the elevation Aofthe coverers 29 may be adjusted. A flexir, rble boot section 34 embracesthe discharge 3`5"`opening 7 in the deck 6 and extends into the upperend of the boot 27 to conduct potatoes or other seed into the boot.

It will be noted that as the forward and c rear sections of the machineframe are rocked 4,0"relatively to each other on their pivotalconnection, the effect is to raise or lower, the furrow opener 28 andalso the coverers 29. This is accomplished by means of a thumb latchlever 35 working in connection with a 45fsegment rack 36 on the machineframe and connected by a link 37 with an eye 38 on the rear end of thetongue 4. 39 designates a spring connected at one end to a clip 40 onrthe tongue and at its opposite end to an ex- 5`i`tension or arm 41 ofthe lever 35. 1t will now be seen that by rocking the lever 35, the rearend of the tongue 4 will be raised or lowered as the case may be, thuscorrespondingly raising or lowering the forward end of 55"the rear ormain section' 1' of the machine frame, to which the furrow opening andclosing devices are connected.

The machine is supported upon a pair of ,i `carrying wheels 42 connectedby an axle 43 o'which constitutes the main driving axle of the machine.To adapt the machine to be used as an ordinary drill planter, a sprocketwheel 44 is mounted fast on said axle and has a chain 45 extendingtherefrom around esanother sprocket wheel 46 on a counter or operatingshaft- 47 which is connected by beveled gears 48 and 49 to the revolvingdisk 8, thus causing said disk to revolve continuously andintermittently drop the seed from the pockets 9 into' the dischargeopening 7. l/Vhen the machine is used as a check row planter, the wheel46 is thrown out ofengagement with the shaft 47 by means of a clutch 50which is shifted by means of a clutch lever 51 extending rearward towithin a convenient reach of the operator occupying the seat 10. Theseed dropper mechanism is then operated by means of a rocking shaft 52mounted on the forward portion of the machine frame and provided atopposite ends with rocker arms 53 carrying at their outer ends check rowdevices 54 which are intermittently engaged by projections or shoulderson a check row line indicated by dotted lines at 55 in Fig. 2. As therocker arms 53 are vibrated by the check line, the rocker shaft 52 isoscillated and in order to impart motion from said shaft to therevolving disk 8, the rocker shaft 52 is provided with a leverv arm 56to which is attached the forward end of a connecting rod 57 the rear endof Which is adjustably connected by a pin and slot attachment, as shownin 58 to a ratchet lever 59 journaled on the counter-shaft 47 andcarrying a pawl 60 which engages the teeth of a ratchet wheel 61 fast onsaid shaft 47. 1n this way intermittent motion is imparted to therevolving disk 9 and by means of the adjustable connection 58, themovement of said disk may be perfectly regulated and timed so as to haltthe disk each time a pocket thereof comes over and above the dischargeopening 7 in the deck. Another connecting rod 62 extends from the leverarm 56 or another similar lever arm, to a bell crank .lever 63 which isfulcrumed on a bracket or lug 64 on the boot 27. The other arm of saidlever has pivotally attached thereto a slide valve 65 having oppositelyarranged shoulders 66 and 67 with an intervening space or pocket 68.This valve with its shoulders 66 and 67 is located whollyA within theboot 27 and operates opposite to and in conjunction with an abutmentplate 69 also located inside of the boot and embodying a `flat Workingsurface 70 against which the shoulders 66 and 67 of the valve move. Theshoulders 66 and 67 are so proportioned and arranged with relation tothe working face of the abutment plate 69 that a space is left for thepotatoes or seed to find their way into the pocket 68 when the valve israised, as shown by the full line position in Fig. 4 and to find theirway out of said pocket when the valve is depressed `or lowered to theposition indicated by dotted lines in the same figure. The potatoes orseed thus escaping are dropped from the lower extremity of the boot intothe furrow and it -will be observed that the movement ofthe valve may benicely adjusted and timed to insure the accurate discharge of the seedin the furrow.

71 designates a marker wheel carried by an arm 72 connected to asuitable point of the machine frame, said marker wheel being designedfor the usual function of marking off the ground, forming a guide forthe driver when directing the machine again across the field, the driverusing the top of the hopper as a seat. Suitable foot rests 73 are proviced for the operator who occupies the rear seat 10.

The machine hereinbefore described is susceptible of considerable changein the form and minor details of construction which may be accordinglyresorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

I claim 1. A seed planter comprising a machine frame, a deck thereonhaving a discharge opening, a revolving feeder disk embodying pocketsadapted to be moved into communication with said discharge opening, ahopper arranged above said disk, an inclined adjustable bottom for saidhopper, and a table arranged adjacent to the lower end of said inclinedbottom.

2. A seed planter comprising a machine frame, a deck mounted thereon andprovided with a discharge opening, a revolving feeder mounted on saiddeck and provided with pockets movable into communication with saiddischarge opening, a hopper extending above said disk and provided witha discharge opening and a slide for controlling the size of saidopening, a table arranged adjacent to saiddischarge opening, and anadjustable inclined bottom for said hopper terminating adjacent to thetable.

3. A seed planter comprising a machine frame, a deck mounted thereonhaving a discharge opening, a pocketed revolving feeder disk mounted onsaid deck, a hopper located above said disk and provided with adischarge opening, a table adjacent to said opening, a pivoted andinclined hopper bottorn leading to said table, and lever connections foradjusting and maintaining the inclination of the hopper bottom.

4. A seed planter comprising a machine frame, a deck mounted thereon andprovided with a discharge opening, a pocketed rotary feeder disk mountedon said deck, carrying wheels for the machine frame, an axle connectingsaid wheels, a counter-shaft parallel to said axle, and means forimparting intermittent motion to the countershaft and revolving diskembodying a check row operated rock shaft, and pawl and ratchetmechanism interposed between the said check row shaft and counter-shaft.

5. A seed planter embodying a machine frame a main axle, carrying wheelsthereon, an apertured deck, a pocketed feeder disk mounted on said deck,a counter shaft parallel with the main axle and geared to said disk forimparting rotary motion to the latter, a ratchet wheel fast on saidcounter shaft, a check row operated rock shaft, a ratchet leveroperatively connected with said rock shaft, and a pawl actuated by saidratchet lever and cooperating with the ratchet wheel on the countershaft.

6. A seed planter comprising a machine frame, carrying wheels therefor,a hopper mounted on the machine fr-ame, a boot located beneath thehopper, and valve mechanism contained within the boot and embodying anabutment plate and a valve shiftable across the abutment plate andcomuprising oppositely arranged shoulders of equal length or projectionand an intervening pocket,both of said shoulders being movable along theface of the abutment plate so that the pocket may receive the seed atone side of the abutment and discharge the same at the other side.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDSON FITCH SPINNER. Witnesses:

P. L. GORDON, O. R. CLENDENIN.

